While Chris Coleman’s side are yet to put a point on the board the Scots could only manage two draws in their opening two games on home soil. This is a game both sides will see as a must win.

The main talking point ahead of this game has been the return of Steven Fletcher to the Scotland squad. The striker has been recalled to the squad following a two-year exile after he and manager Craig Levein patched up their differences by agreeing “the country comes first”. The next step for Levein is to name the Sunderland forward in his starting XI this Friday.

The Scotland manager has been criticised for his negative team selection and negative tactics since taking over the national team. If he opts not to start the £12million forward this weekend, and they don’t get a positive result, his days as Scotland boss could be numbered.Steven Naismith will be unavailable as he serves a two-match ban, while Robert Snodgrass has linked up with the squad carrying a knock and could, therefore, be replaced by Celtic midfielder Kris Commons.

Wales will be without Cardiff striker Craig Bellamy after he was ruled out with a knee problem, so Simon Church and Steve Morison should continue up front. Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen and Gareth Bale will provide the impetus, and quality, from midfield as Chris Coleman seeks his first win as the national team manager.

Given each side’s poor starts to the campaign it is no surprise to see the bookies unable to split them in the betting, a win for either side is priced at odds of 17/10. And considering the poor form of both teams it is difficult to fancy either team to take all three points, so we’ll plump for the draw at odds of 11/5.

Wales have lost all five of their games under new manager Chris Coleman, with the run of poor results culminating in a 6-1 loss to Serbia last time out. The Scots, meanwhile, have drawn three of their last five games and seem incapable of adopting tactics that even resemble that of an attacking side.

However, recent games between the two sides have produced goals. Scotland won 3-1 when the teams met in May of last year, while Wales were 3-0 winners 18 months previously. With the added potential of Steven Fletcher and Kris Commons returning to the Scotland side, and the mass assumption that both sides are of a negative attitude the value may now have swung to backing Over 2.5 goals at odds of 11/10. Sometimes it pays to go against the grain of public opinion.

For the loser of this match their World Cup qualification campaign will be as good as over before getting started, with the winner given a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately a draw would leave both sides facing an uphill struggle, and that’s the way I see it going.